Health Care Reform

University of Alaska Impacts of Federal Health Care Legislation

The Patient Protection and Affordable Health Care Act (PPACA) was signed into law on March 23, 2010, and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act (HCERA) was signed into law on March 30, 2010. In general, plans are required to implement the provisions of the laws at the beginning of the first plan year following the six-month period after the act is signed. For the University of Alaska, this means the changes started to take effect July 1, 2011.

The University of Alaska has already made several changes to comply with health care reform, including

extending coverage to dependents up to age 26

eliminating pre-existing conditions exclusions for children under age 19

eliminating the lifetime benefit maximum of $2 million, there is no longer a lifetime cap on benefits